Quarantine Procedure for New Pets

Any time you are introducing new animals, or returning animals that have had exposure to other rodents (e.g. shows, breeding, or returned adoptions) it is important to isolate them from your existing pets to closely monitor their health and reduce the chances of infecting your animals.

The absolute minimum time for quarantine is two weeks as that is the time period during which most contagious diseases will present symptoms. However, we recommend a quarantine period of 3 weeks since external parasites can take this long to become apparent.

The best solution for quarantine is to keep your animals at two different facilities, or areas that do not share an air supply (i.e. a friend or family member's house). Since this is unrealistic for most people, we recommend keeping your animals separated as far apart as possible in your house. 

Ideally, two different people would care for each group of animals. If this is not an option, we recommend wearing gloves if possible. Always take care of your original animals first and thoroughly wash your hands in between. Changing your clothes would also help.

It is also recommended to keep any food or bedding completely separated.

During quarantine you should closely monitor your animals. Signs of illness can include, but are not limited to, ocular or nasal discharge, lack of appetite, lethargy, diarrhea, hair loss, skin lesions, sneezing, labored breathing, head tilt, weight loss, and visual identification of parasites such as lice or nits.

Immediately consult your veterinarian for proper treatment. Once your pet has seen the veterinarian it is also advisable to contact your breeder to let them know of any potential problems.